Establishment of LFL
Light For Life (LFL) was established in March 2008 and is in process of getting registration under Non-Governmental Organization Act No: 24 of 2002. Light For life (LFL) is Located in Njiro Contena Engutoto ward, Arusha Town District, Arusha Region of United Republic of Tanzania.
The spirit of initiating this organization came when five members who are Tanzanian with different professionals (Social Worker, ICT Technician and Welder) came together with an aim of empowering and supporting youths and young persons on the street to become self reliant.
Historical Background of Street Youths in Arusha
In Arusha Street, there are many vulnerable young persons and youths most of them engage different activities (carrying luggage’s around the market) in street and become street youths for boys while girls’ youths and young persons decided to engage in sexual commercial works for them to meet their basic need as other human being. However girls are like unseen in the streets to compare with the boys, during day time girls are just doing domestic works at the slums area and at night engaging in sexual commercial workers. Most of these youths and young persons are living in Arusha streets but are coming from different parts of Tanzania.
Street Work Base
Light For Life is not a residential centre but an Organization focusing in field works practice by spending a day and night time with vulnerable youths and young persons in the streets. This is because the youths/young persons do not have someone to talk to, by the presence of field worker (Street Workers and Social workers) in the Streets; they will feel they’re cared and supported.
Light For Life planning to intake 10 youths and young person from streets per year to link them in vocational schools in order to get knowledge and become self reliance.
Light For Life is working with youths and young persons from the age of 15-22 who are vulnerable from streets by helping them to become self reliance.
AIMS AND OBJECTIVES
A:We identify new youths and young persons in the street and referral to appropriate organization for help, according to such organization in order to reduce the number of older boys/girls in the street.
B:Light For Life discourage young youths/youths from use of substance abuse (drug use) and commercial sexual exploitation by providing counseling, vocational training, non-formal education, assistance to integrate in formal education or suitable work to vulnerable youths like street youth, HIV/AIDS orphans and girl child by giving these youths alternatives for the future in Arusha Region.
C:We advocate for improvement of working conditions of youths, equal accessibility and quality education i.e. vocational schools for those at risk to become self reliant by identifying their potentials.
D:We conduct awareness rising programs on the rights of the youths and young youths whose live and spending their day on the streets abiding with Universal Declaration Rights.
E:Light For Life develop and implement community strategy to achieve meaningful community participation in preventing all form of street youths and young persons in collaboration with local community stakeholders.
IN PURSUANCE OF THESE AIMS, the Objectives of the Society shall be:
-Identification of new youths and young person on risk in street of Arusha.
-Refer potential youths and young person to possible beneficial organization for help/assistance.
-Provision of guidance and counseling to youths and young person in street.
-Enrolling youths and young person to quality/valuable education/vocational training centers.
-Referring clients to other drug addiction centers for more life skills education and test.
-Campaigning for quality education and improvement of working conditions of youth for their sustainability.
-Conducting public awareness raising on youths and young person’s rights.
-Developing community strategies in achieving positive community participation for child caring.
-collaborating with local stakeholders in implementing strategies for child guidance and care.